A Week of Announcements Part 3: Layers of Fear 2, MudRunner 2, and More

By Rebecca Smith,

Over the last couple of days, we've seen a variety of new titles coming to PlayStation 4 and Vita, with a bit of PlayStation VR thrown in for good measure. Day three brings 15 more titles and pushes us over the halfway point. Take a look at the list below and see if there's anything you fancy.

NX Games' "fast-paced fantasy action platformer" takes place one night when protagonist Jack is walking in the woods with his girlfriend Nara. The problem is she's kidnapped by an orc called Korg, who takes her back to his underground base. Following them with hopes to rescue Nara, Jack enters the base and finds a strange blade that's more than happy to help him. As players explore the maze-like lair, they'll need to solve puzzles, collect weapons, power ups and new abilities, and defeat enemies. Korg isn't the only boss that can be found down there. Thanks to publisher Blowfish Studios, the game will be arriving on PlayStation 4 later this year.

Kartoon Racers

Viewpoint Games' Mario Kart-esque racing title pits up to four local players against each other on tracks themed around one of the game's characters. There will be a variety of power ups to use against other racers, such as black holes that teleport them to other areas of the track, and you'll need to make sure you collect boost power as you go, otherwise you'll be left far behind. Up to 12 characters, such as The Queen of Hearts, Sherlock Holmes, Frankenstein, and Big Foot, will be available in the full game, each being either a famous hero or villain, and they will all have their own themed kart, race track and battle arena. You'll be able to try all of them out on PlayStation 4 next year.

Keen

UNTIES is now one of Sony's publishers, and they're promising to bring Cat Nigiri's "sliding puzzle adventure game" for PlayStation 4 and Vita next year. Kim's role in her village is to be their guardian thanks to an ancient tradition. However, when she turned 12, her grandmother sensed an impending attack and Kim found herself sent out into the world to dispel it. Surrounded by "brainwashed minions and high-tech robot soldiers", she soon realises she needs to prevent an evil corporation from taking over the world. Combining turn-based tactical combat and sliding puzzles, players will need to place enemies as well as Kim herself if they're to succeed.

Last Labyrinth

Amata's "escape-the-room adventure game" is built specifically for virtual reality. Players wake up to find themselves sat in a wheelchair with all four limbs secured tightly. The only other person in the room is a mysterious young girl who is stood in the corner staring at you intently. Together they must find a way out of a mansion filled with traps and other hidden dangers. The title will be arriving for PlayStation VR in spring 2019.

Layers of Fear 2

Gun Media has been teasing a mysterious Project Méliès for a while now. The working title cleverly hid the fact that the game is a sequel to Bloober Team's 2016 horror release, but now the cat is out the bag. Players will assume the role of an actor having to face the truths of their past, but otherwise little is known about the title, including whether it will be coming to consoles at all. If you want to glean as many clues as you can at this early stage, take a look at the teaser trailer below.

Log Jammers

Mega Cat Studios had already created their "competitive, arcade sports game" for PC and NES, so they took to Kickstarter to gather the funds together to create a console port. Drawing inspiration from titles like Windjammers, players throw axes at their opponent's goal, and the only way they'll stop you from scoring is to catch it and throw it back. Each character has their own unique throw that's unleashed when they catch a star, and power ups will either help you directly or hinder your enemy. After successfully reaching their funding target, you'll be able to throw axes at each other on PlayStation 4 in Q1 2019.

Lord of the Rings MMO

Athlon Games is a name that won't be familiar to gamers yet. Created in May, the company previously focused on providing expert advice on free-to-play game design and mechanics. Now they've entered into a long-term licensing agreement with Middle-earth Enterprises that allows them to develop their own online title based on The Lord of the Rings. Details on the game are scant right now, but the game will take place before the events of the famous book, aiming to introduce players to "lands, people and creatures never seen before by fans of the Tolkien universe". The game will be arriving on consoles in the future.

Mad Streets

Formerly known as Mean Streets before a trademark issue got in the way, Craftshop Arts' beat 'em up is the third of Kowloon Nights' titles to feature this week. The town of Gutsford is being affected by the football team and the rest of the college cliques running wild, being abusive to the locals, and screwing with their businesses. Players are in charge of Bouncers Inc., a business whose only aim is to help out those affected by their behaviour. Succeeding at a job rewards cash that can be used for more combat training, food, or any other luxury you might want, but spend too much and you won't be able to pay off your debts... and when it comes to those, the football players are the least of your worries. The game is heading to consoles in the future.

Marble It Up!

The spiritual successor to the Marble Madness and Marble Blast franchises is a true collaborative effort between Bad Habit Productions, The Engine Company, Alvios, Arcturus Interactive, and Shapes and Lines. The "high-speed puzzle platformer" tasks players with controlling a marble through 40 maze-like levels as they try to reach the end before time runs out. Moving platforms, ice, switching gravity, and perfect bouncing will all need to be mastered if players are to succeed. A variety of power ups will also try to make things easier, and there will be a variety of collectibles to find in hidden places. Having just released on Nintendo Switch, the title is heading to PlayStation 4 in the future.

Mars: Chaos Menace

Byte4Games' previous title was a twin stick shooter, but now they've teamed up with Starcruiser Studio to have a go at a "bullet hell shoot'em-up". After Earth was contaminated with radiation and its resources were depleted, the planet was saved during the age of terraforming. Thanks to advanced technology, humans can now adapt to places that with hostile and previously inhabitable environments. The problem is that humans aren't the only thing attracted to Earth. Huge monsters have also arrived and they're setting out to sterilise the planet completely by finishing what was started by the radiation. It's up to you to stop them when the title arrives on PlayStation 4 on November 16th.

Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame

The kings of two-wheeled racing are back with the next instalment in the Monster Energy Supercross franchise. In a new career mode, players assume the role of a Supercross Champion as they increase their fame, attract sponsors, manage media appearances, and form rivalries with other riders, meaning they'll need to worry about more than the race results. Both rider and bike customisation has been enhanced, and the track editor returns. The game will launch with 17 tracks and over 80 official racers from the 2018 season. You can find Milestone's latest title on PlayStation 4 on February 8th, 2019.

MudRunner 2

Saber Interactive and Focus Home Interactive have once again teamed up to bring the sequel to Spintires: Mudrunner to consoles. Players will once again tackle extreme landscapes in a variety of all-terrain vehicles, while the prequel's "renowned physics engine, realistic driving mechanics, intense environments and sandbox gameplay" will make its return. This will be accompanied by "new features and enhancements", although we have no details of those yet. More information is promised next year, beginning with the publisher's What’s Next de Focus press event in Q1 2019, but for now we'll just have to wait and see.

N1RV ANN-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

Sukeban Games is returning to PlayStation 4 with this sequel to VA-11 HALL-A. This time players find themselves on the island of Saint Alicia, racked with mafia extortion, trafficking, and many other crimes. Bartender Sam is left looking after her 8-year-old son, Tony, while her husband Leon is off fulfilling the whims of the Yakuza. Her customers have lives that are just as chaotic, with extreme body modification being just one of the norms. Like the previous title, players will choose which drinks they serve up in the hopes of steering conversations in their intended direction. Missions can be replayed, secret missions can be unlocked, and different dialogue options can be explored. Those choices are yours when the game arrives in 2020 thanks to publisher Ysbryd Games.

Observation

No Code has teamed up with Devolver Digital to bring their "sci-fi thriller" to PlayStation 4. In the far reaches of outer space, the crew of the space station Observation, led by astronaut Dr. Emma Fisher, has gone silent. After taking control of the station’s artificial intelligence S.A.M, players find Emma but the rest of the crew has disappeared. Using the cameras and control systems on board the station, players must find out what happened to the station and the crew before something happens to Emma too. The title is due to arrive next spring.

One Finger Death Punch 2

The demise of Xbox Live Indie Games removed all of developer Silver Dollar Games' titles from sale on consoles. They aim to remedy this on PlayStation 4 with the follow up to hit kung fu fighter One Finger Death Punch. The game's stickmen and two-button gameplay return, promising lightning fast but manageable battles as players use 26 different skills and any weapon they can find. The sequel will feature new level types (including blind levels), new skills and new game modes. The title is due to be released in spring 2019.

Stay tuned tomorrow for part four and the next 15 titles.

Written by Rebecca Smith

Rebecca is the Newshound Manager at TrueGaming Network. She has been contributing articles since 2010, especially those that involve intimidatingly long lists. When not writing news, she works in an independent game shop so that she can spend all day talking about games too. She'll occasionally go outside.